Space Systems Laboratory (MIT)

A previous Space Systems Laboratory (Maryland) was founded at MIT in 1976, by faculty members Renee Miller and J.W. Mar.{{cite web |title=James Mar, former AeroAstro department head and Air Force chief scientist, dies at 96 |url=https://news.mit.edu/2017/james-mar-former-aeroastro-department-head-air-force-chief-scientist-dies-0308 |website=MIT News |publisher=MIT |access-date=20 February 2021 |date=8 March 2017}} In 1990, lab director Dr. Dave Akin moved the lab to the University of Maryland.[http://www.ssl.umd.edu UMD Space Systems Lab Home]

The current Space Systems Laboratory was founded in 1995 at MIT. It began as a part of the Space Engineering Research Center (SERC).{{cite web |url=http://web.mit.edu/serc/ |title=Space Engineering Research Center (not maintained) |publisher=MIT |access-date=20 February 2021}}

The laboratory has a practice of Conceive-Design-Implement-Operate (CDIO), working to provide students hands-on learning as a part of their coursework.{{cite web |title=Teaching and the SSL |url=https://ssl.scripts.mit.edu/www/teaching/ |website=Space Systems Laboratory |publisher=MIT |access-date=20 February 2021}}{{cite web |title=CDIO |url=http://web.mit.edu/edtech/casestudies/cdio.html |access-date=20 February 2021}} One of the laboratory's flagship research testbeds, SPHERES, began in 1999 as an undergraduate senior design project.{{cite web |title=The History of SPHERES |url=https://www.nasa.gov/spheres/history.html |publisher=NASA |access-date=20 February 2021 |date=22 August 2013}}{{cite web |title=SPHERES: How a Class Project Turned into an Experiment Facility in Space |url=https://www.nasa.gov/offices/oct/feature/spheres-how-a-class-project-turned-into-an-experiment-facility-in-space |website=Office of Chief Technologist Space Tech |publisher=NASA |access-date=20 February 2021 |date=18 May 2016}}{{cite web |title=Space Spheres |url=https://spectrum.mit.edu/fall-2004/space-spheres/ |website=Spectrum |publisher=MIT |access-date=20 February 2021 |date=Fall 2004}}

The current directors of the SSL are Rebecca Masterson{{cite web |title=Rebecca Masterson appointed AeroAstro principal research scientist |url=https://news.mit.edu/2018/rebecca-masterson-appointed-principal-research-scientist-aeroastro-0719 |website=MIT News |publisher=MIT |access-date=20 February 2021 |date=19 July 2018}} and Prof. Richard Linares. The principal research scientist is Alvar Saenz-Otero.{{cite web |title=Dr. Alvar Saenz-Otero - NESC Academy Biography |url=https://www.nasa.gov/offices/nesc/academy/Alvar_Saenz-Otero_Bio.html |publisher=NASA |access-date=20 February 2021}} Former director Prof. Dave Miller{{cite web |title=AeroAstro's Miller, Lincoln Lab's Evans named AIAA Fellows |url=https://news.mit.edu/2015/miller-evan-aiaa-fellows-0126 |website=MIT News |publisher=MIT |access-date=20 February 2021 |date=26 January 2015}} is now faculty for the laboratory. Long time staff include Marilyn Good and Paul Bauer.

Faculty members include:

• Dr. Daniel Hastings
• Dr. Jeffrey Hoffman, former NASA Astronaut{{cite web |title=Scientist, then astronaut, now lecturer, Hoffman returns to MIT |url=https://news.mit.edu/2002/hoffman-0313 |website=MIT News |publisher=MIT |access-date=20 February 2021 |date=13 March 2002}}
• Dr. Olivier de Weck
• Dr. Kerri Cahoy
• Dr. Sara Seager, a MacArthur Fellow
• Dr. Richard Binzel

• OSIRIS-REx's REXIS{{cite web |title=MIT's REXIS and Bennu's watery surface |url=https://news.mit.edu/2019/mit-rexis-and-bennu-watery-surface-0129 |website=MIT News |publisher=MIT |access-date=20 February 2021 |date=29 January 2019}}{{cite web |title=NASA Instrument to Use X-Rays to Map an Asteroid |url=https://www.nasa.gov/feature/goddard/2016/nasa-instrument-to-use-x-ray-light-to-map-an-asteroid |publisher=NASA |access-date=20 February 2021 |date=12 July 2016}}{{cite web |title=MIT's REXIS is bound for asteroid Bennu |url=https://news.mit.edu/2016/mit-rexis-bound-asteroid-bennu-0908 |website=MIT News |publisher=MIT |access-date=20 February 2021 |date=8 September 2016}}{{cite web |title=Student-built instrument headed to asteroid and back |url=https://news.mit.edu/2016/student-REXIS-asteroid-0108 |website=MIT News |publisher=MIT |access-date=20 February 2021 |date=8 January 2016}}
• ROAM: Relative Operations for Autonomous Maneuvers
• ReCon
• iSAT
• Advanced Telescope Concepts{{cite web |title=To catch an interstellar visitor, use a solar-powered space slingshot |url=https://news.mit.edu/2020/catch-interstellar-visitor-use-solar-powered-space-statite-slingshot-0506 |website=MIT News |publisher=MIT |access-date=20 February 2021 |date=6 May 2020}}

• SPHERES{{cite web |title=Mini MIT satellites rocketing to space station |url=https://news.mit.edu/2006/mini-satellites |website=MIT News |publisher=MIT |access-date=19 February 2021 |date=25 April 2006}}{{cite web |title=Down to earth: Alumnus Tani returns from space station |url=https://news.mit.edu/2008/space-tani-0222 |website=MIT News |publisher=MIT |access-date=20 February 2021 |date=22 February 2008}}{{cite web |title=Mini satellites readied for launch |url=https://news.mit.edu/2004/spheres-0331 |website=MIT News |publisher=MIT |access-date=20 February 2021 |date=31 March 2004}}
• Zero Robotics, a competition for middle and high school students on the International Space Station
• VERTIGO (Visual Estimation and Relative Tracking for Inspection of Generic Objects) {{cite web |title=Research update: SPHERES to get powerful magnets and goggles |url=https://news.mit.edu/2012/research-update-spheres-satellites-get-camera-magnets-0802 |website=MIT News |publisher=MIT |access-date=20 February 2021 |date=2 August 2012}}
• RINGS (Resonant Inductive Near-field Generation System)
• MACE II{{cite web |title=MIT has first experiment aboard space station |url=https://news.mit.edu/2000/mace-0913 |website=MIT News |publisher=MIT |access-date=20 February 2021 |date=13 September 2000}}{{cite web |title=Alum completes first space station expedition |url=https://news.mit.edu/2001/shephard-0502 |website=MIT News |publisher=MIT |access-date=20 February 2021 |date=2 May 2001}}

• MicroMAS (Micro-sized Microwave Atmospheric Satellite){{cite web |title=MicroMAS: small is beautiful |url=https://news.mit.edu/2014/micromas-small-is-beautiful |website=MIT News |publisher=MIT |access-date=20 February 2021 |date=27 March 2014}}
• MicroMAS-2{{cite web |title=For collecting weather data, tiny satellites measure up to billion-dollar cousins |url=https://news.mit.edu/2018/for-collecting-weather-data-cubesats-measure-up-0927 |website=MIT News |publisher=MIT |access-date=20 February 2021 |date=27 September 2018}}
• ExoplanetSat{{cite web |title=Building a list of Earth candidates |url=https://news.mit.edu/2010/exoplanet-series-1-1214 |website=MIT News |publisher=MIT |access-date=20 February 2021 |date=14 December 2010}}{{cite web |title=Searching for life |url=https://news.mit.edu/2014/searching-life |website=MIT News |publisher=MIT |access-date=20 February 2021 |date=9 July 2014}}
• inflated antenna{{cite web |author1=Jennifer Chu |title=Inflatable antennae could give CubeSats greater reach |url=https://news.mit.edu/2013/inflatable-antennae-could-give-cubesats-greater-reach-0906 |website=MIT News |publisher=MIT |access-date=20 February 2021 |date=6 September 2013}}

• Middeck 0-Gravity Dynamics Experiment (MODE), STS-48
• Middeck Active Control Experiment (MACE), STS-67
• Dynamic Load Sensor (DLS), STS-62{{cite web |title=Helping space shuttles achieve liftoff |url=https://news.mit.edu/2011/mit-space-shuttle-history-0708 |website=MIT News |publisher=MIT |access-date=20 February 2021 |date=8 July 2011}}

• MIT Lincoln Laboratory
• Aerospace
• NASA
• NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory
• DARPA
• University of Maryland
• Space Systems Laboratory (Maryland)
• Aurora Flight Sciences
• Draper Laboratory

• Small Satellite Technology Initiative (SSTI)
• New Millennium Program
• International Space Station Technology Testbed Program

While the students go off to a wide variety of careers, many SSL graduates have gone to NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory. In particular, several have been on the Entry, Descent, and Landing (EDL) teams of Mars missions.{{cite web |title=MIT alums recount their Martian experiences |url=https://news.mit.edu/2012/curious-aeroastro-alum-event-1011 |website=MIT News |publisher=MIT |access-date=20 February 2021 |date=11 October 2012}}{{cite web |title=SSL Graduate Students |url=http://web.mit.edu/serc/www2/gradstud.html |publisher=MIT |access-date=20 February 2021 |date=1990s}}{{cite web |title=Join the Twitter Chat: MIT Alumni and the Final Frontier |url=https://alum.mit.edu/slice/join-twitter-chat-mit-alumni-and-final-frontier |publisher=MIT |access-date=20 February 2021 |date=3 October 2014}} Allen Chen and Dr. Swati Mohan announced the touchdown of the Mars Science Laboratory and Mars 2020 rovers, respectively.

The laboratory also has strong ties to the United States Air Force, with several students coming from the USAF Academy. Dr. Miller worked with the Academy to create fully funded graduate scholarships to MIT for graduates of its FalconSAT program.{{cite web |title=Academy, MIT announce new scholarship |url=https://www.usafa.af.mil/News/News-Display/Article/429136/academy-mit-announce-new-scholarship/ |publisher=USAF Academy |access-date=20 February 2021 |date=1 September 2009}}

A 2014 paper from PhD candidate Sydney Do and several additional SSL graduate students received world-wide attention for its assessment that astronauts wouldn't be able to survive in the Mars One project's design more than a few couple of the months.{{cite web |title=Mars One (and done?) |url=https://news.mit.edu/2014/technical-feasibility-mars-one-1014 |website=MIT News |publisher=MIT |access-date=20 February 2021 |date=14 October 2014}}{{cite web |title=MIT Students Claim Astronauts Will Starve On 'Mars One' Mission |url=https://www.popsci.com/article/technology/mit-students-claim-astronauts-will-starve-mars-one-mission/ |website=Popular Science |access-date=20 February 2021 |date=11 October 2014}} The analysis was performed based on publicly available information of the design.

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Category:Space research

Category:Massachusetts Institute of Technology